Get Started With In-Car Smart Tech

Explore the innovative smart kit you can add to your existing car today.

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Despite all the rumours, it’s still unclear whether Apple will release its own self-driving smart car, or if it’s simply focussing on intelligent driving software it could license to car manufacturers. In any event, nobody is expecting the famously secretive company to unveil anything for a few years yet.

In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to add some Apple tech to your car – in fact, you can already buy cars that have Apple software built right into them. Apple’s CarPlay technology is a display and controller for your dashboard that enables you to control key apps on your iPhone. If your vehicle supports CarPlay (see apple.co/2j2vFSc) and has a compatible screen installed on its dashboard, you can connect your iPhone to it and see and interact with apps such as Maps, Messages and Music without handling the phone. You can use Siri for hands-free voice commands, telling it to play your favourite playlist, for example, or “call the office” so you can tell someone you’re stuck in traffic.

Get a hands-free car phone

CarPlay made big strides in 2016, and there are now dozens of manufacturers, from Audi to Volkswagen, that include CarPlay as a standard feature in many of their latest models. But you don’t need to go out and buy a brand new car, as there are plenty of car accessories that allow you to use your iPhone while you’re driving.

Safety is all-important, and there are many hands-free kits that use Bluetooth to connect to your iPhone so you can make or take calls while driving, and talk to Siri. Prices start as low as £20 for a basic model such as the Olixar Clip (bit.ly/2jscMpo).